Vol. 426 No. 6
2 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for the Marine if, in view of the insistence by a number of regional fishery boards that they cannot perform their duties satisfactorily, particularly with regard to protection of fish stocks, he will provide additional finance in 1993.
I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that I have secured a 4 per cent increase in 1993 on the 1992 outturn of £7.835 million for inland fisheries and this at a time, as I think the Deputy will agree, when we are facing a very difficult budgetary situation.
Of the total allocation of £8.173 million for 1993 £6.906 million is being provided to the central and regional fisheries boards. While the demand for increased resources for all State services is ever present I am satisfied that the level of Exchequer funding available to the fisheries boards in 1993 together with own resources raised will be adequate to meet the present pay and non-pay commitments of the boards.
I am, however, conscious of the decline in staff numbers in the fisheries boards in recent years and the effect this will have on the boards' ability to carry out their functions of protection, conservation and development. Mindful of this, I have, since becoming Minister for Defence and Minister for the Marine, been examining all possible avenues to have a number of priority posts filled. However, I have to point out that it would be wrong of me to raise expectations of a substantial increase in staff numbers for the fisheries boards in the present financial climate.
I would add that the Department is looking at ways of improving the protection service, including better co-operation with the Naval Service and between the fisheries boards to utilise in the most efficient and effective manner the present available resources.
I can see in the Estimate that the overall figure has gone up by 4 per cent, but that is merely in line with inflation. The figure for travel and subsistence has gone down by 12 per cent. In view of the pleas by a number of regional fisheries boards in recent weeks, surely the Minister recognises the necessity for adequate sea-worthy protection vessels. The Estimate does not cover that.
I agree that there is a serious problem in relation to the total staffing of the seven regional fisheries boards and the Central Fisheries Board. I concede that since, for example, 1982 the staff numbers have fallen by 124 or 31 per cent, from 404 to 280 at present. As an angler I am very conscious of the work of the fisheries boards. In the circumstances this is an issue I will address very seriously in the context of my new manifestation as Minister for the Marine. I am very conscious of the problems from which the boards are suffering and the encumbrances and obstacles in their way.
I appreciate the Minister's candour and I ask him to lean heavily on the Minister for Finance and his senior officials.
I have tried unsuccessfully to do that. In attempting to lean on the Minister for Finance, I have fallen over a few times but I will go back for more at the Deputy's request.
Send him out on a trip in some of these inadequate fishing boats.
I am getting a little old to be leaning on Ministers for Finance.
